Chapter 31

After lunch, Li Yuanxi told Wei Shu to take a nap while she sat outside the cave whittling a wooden stick. The stick already had a slight natural curve, which saved her some effort.

She shaped the ends, then went back inside the cave, heated up some water, and soaked the stick in hot water.

After peeling off the bark, the pale wood was smooth and easy to handle. Soaking it in hot water made it easier to bend and increased its resilience, reducing the risk of breaking.

Once she tied the ends with vines to set the curve, she hung it over the smoke to dry. The whole process took her over two hours.

By the time Wei Shu woke from her nap, Li Yuanxi still hadn’t finished the bow. She picked up the now-set, naturally curved stick and tied on a rope she had found. She had searched for a long time for a rope that wouldn’t break easily.

As soon as the bowstring was tied, the bow was ready. Next, she started making arrows. She prepared some iron nails, ground off the rust, heated them in the fire for a while, and then repeated the grinding process. Soon, five sharp arrowheads were ready.

Wei Shu watched as Li Yuanxi’s foot wore a small pit into the ground. The pinky-sized nails turned a gleaming white, looking sharp as could be.

To increase the arrows’ strength, Li Yuanxi placed finger-thick wooden shafts in the fire for a bit, charring the surface to make them more sturdy.

She used some fishing line—which she had gathered but not yet used—to bind the nail to the shaft, turning it into a real arrow. She made only five arrows. By the time she finished, it was already pitch dark. The only light came from inside the cave and the moon above.

Li Yuanxi straightened her back after a whole afternoon of grinding and realized it was about to break. “Ahhh, it hurts so much! My back!!!” She grimaced, one hand supporting her back. It felt like it wasn’t even hers anymore.

Wei Shu put down her ladle and quickly came over to help her up. “Take it easy. Want to go lie down for a bit?”

Li Yuanxi squinted one eye in pain and refused. When she stood up, she realized her bladder urgently demanded she go relieve it—it was about to explode.

She had no choice but to let Wei Shu help her out to the bathroom. She held a torch while the two slowly made their way through the forest. They could still hear the dying cries of the goose outside.

“Tomorrow, I’ll kill and eat that goose to build you up,” Li Yuanxi said through gritted teeth.

“Mhm, we’ll eat it tomorrow. Watch your step,” Wei Shu said with a smile, watching Li Yuanxi arch her back and still grumble. She found it adorable.

“Go on, go ahead.” When they reached the spot, Wei Shu’s eyes sparkled with laughter. She patted Li Yuanxi’s shoulder and let her take care of business.

Li Yuanxi’s face flushed. She nodded in a fluster. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Go away, go away!” She felt mortified—another embarrassing social death.

Wei Shu turned her back and walked away with the torch, saying she would call her when she was done. The fire illuminated a few meters around them. The chirping of insects was a high-low symphony, joining together in a cheerful song, playing the seventh movement of the night.

After finishing, Li Yuanxi felt completely relieved. Her aching bladder finally stopped hurting.

She held her back and moved slowly, looking at the distant light. The corners of her mouth curled up wildly. If her back didn’t hurt, she would have run over and scared Wei Shu.

If Wei Shu knew what she was thinking, she would have rolled her eyes. Served her right for having a sore back.

The two returned to the cave, and dinner was ready. After a busy day, they were indeed hungry. Li Yuanxi picked up her bowl and ate happily. “Tastes good,” she said, giving Wei Shu a thumbs up.

“Yeah, but even if it’s good, there’s no second bowl. Eat up.” Wei Shu replied calmly, eating her food elegantly.

“Tomorrow I can have a second bowl. Once we kill the goose outside, we’ll have all the meat we want.” Li Yuanxi’s mouth watered at the thought of goose meat.

“I hear goose meat is fresh, tender, not greasy, and good for the blood. It’s perfect for you,” Li Yuanxi recited from some old book she’d once read.

“Oh, really? And the goose legs?” Wei Shu raised an eyebrow and deliberately asked.

“Of course, we’ll each have one. A goose has two wings and two legs, so don’t worry, you’ll get enough to eat.” Li Yuanxi quickly answered. Everyone knew the legs—which get exercised daily—tasted best, so she definitely wanted some.

“Oh, really? Didn’t you say I should eat more?” Wei Shu narrowed her eyes and drawled, intentionally cutting her off.

“How could that be? Goose meat isn’t just on the legs.” Li Yuanxi finished her sentence and lowered her head to eat, refusing to answer any more questions.

Her antics made Wei Shu smile softly. Li Yuanxi smiled along too. She knew Wei Shu was just joking. The atmosphere in the cave was simple and relaxed, with none of the mind games.

Their emotions were expressed directly. Aside from the lack of material security, Wei Shu felt very relaxed emotionally.

She was also getting used to not having to think about too many things. She just discussed what to eat and what to do with Li Yuanxi every day. No scheming, no fawning.

There was only Li Yuanxi. Everything was a simple, clear line. She enjoyed it, and so did Li Yuanxi.

Even when worrying about the next meal, she felt relaxed.

When they finally finished everything and lay on the bed, Wei Shu was drowsy, but Li Yuanxi was still staring at the uneven cave ceiling.

Finally, she turned over and looked at Wei Shu’s small, delicate ear. It was pale and white, and she could almost see the tiny blood vessels in the dim firelight.

“I’ll give it to you.” Li Yuanxi suddenly spoke, her warm breath turning cold as it hit Wei Shu’s ear. Wei Shu blinked sleepily and turned her head to look at her. “What?”

Li Yuanxi moved her head, resting it on Wei Shu’s pillow. She leaned close to her ear and whispered, “I said, I’ll let you have the goose leg. I’ll just eat the body.”

“Huh?” Wei Shu fully opened her eyes this time and turned to face Li Yuanxi. Their noses nearly touched. Her black eyes looked into Li Yuanxi’s tea-brown ones. She was fully awake now.

“Okay.” Wei Shu’s eyes curved as she agreed. Li Yuanxi nodded seriously, her forehead bumping into Wei Shu’s. They both covered their foreheads at the same time.

In the darkness, Wei Shu sighed helplessly. “Li Yuanxi, you’re an idiot.”

“No, I’m not. Don’t talk nonsense.” Li Yuanxi quickly denied it three times. They both lay flat again and started chatting. Neither remembered when they fell asleep. When they woke up, it was already dawn.

Li Yuanxi was hugging Wei Shu tightly. She rubbed her head against Wei Shu’s shoulder, but eventually, her bladder won out, and she slowly let go. She got up, opened the cave door, and took her first breath of fresh air.

After taking care of business, Li Yuanxi lifted the backpack basket and looked at the dying goose. It let out a “ga-ga” sound, similar to a goose. Li Yuanxi clicked her tongue in amusement.

She crouched down and looked at the goose with great tenderness. “Don’t worry, when the time comes, I’ll be quick. I won’t make you suffer.”

The goose’s beady eyes twitched. If it could speak, it would say: “Thank you very much.”

When Wei Shu got up, every muscle in her body ached. But it was bearable, better than she had expected. After breakfast, she stayed home to rest.

She would wait for Li Yuanxi to kill the goose and bring it back for storage. It was a shame they had no ginger or scallions to remove the gamey smell.

Li Yuanxi took the goose to the beach. The front beach didn’t have many geese resting on it, but there were still quite a few. She found a spot, cleanly killed the goose, and let it bleed out.

She took out an iron bucket from her backpack and scooped up a bucket of seawater. Then she lit a fire using the embers she had brought from the cave. She set the bucket over the fire. Soon, the water boiled.

Li Yuanxi plunged the goose into the boiling water, soaking it repeatedly. After a few minutes, she took it out and easily plucked the feathers. She worked quickly, finishing in no time.

She washed the plucked goose in the seawater, then brought it back to the fire. She used the flame to singe off any tiny feathers that couldn’t be plucked. The fire hissed as it burned the skin.

Li Yuanxi estimated the goose weighed at least six jin, a bit heavier than she had expected. She used the axe to gut it. She kept the heart and kidneys and threw the rest into the reef area.

After washing the goose clean, she used the axe to chop it into small pieces to make soup. Fresh goose meat was tender. The geese had burned most of their fat during the flight.

Li Yuanxi cleaned up the beach, packed the cut goose meat, and headed home. Wei Shu sat outside the cave waiting for her.

“I’m back!” Li Yuanxi waved at Wei Shu, who nodded politely.

“The smell isn’t too strong, but there’s definitely some gamey taste. I don’t have a great way to get rid of it. To be safe, let’s stew it outside today.”

Wei Shu raised both hands in agreement. If the smell was too strong, neither of them would be able to sleep at night. The cave’s ventilation wasn’t as good as one would think.

Li Yuanxi set up a temporary stove outside the cave, building it stably so the pot wouldn’t tip. Then she started boiling water for blanching.

She washed the goose meat again in fresh water. Then she put it in the iron pot with a dozen lemon leaves—that was her last-ditch effort to remove the gamey smell.

After blanching, the blood was removed, and the gamey smell was reduced. Li Yuanxi stewed half a pot first. The pot wasn’t big enough to cook it all at once, so she split it into two batches.

The pot boiled with goose meat and lemon leaves, filling the air around the cave with the scent.

“This meat needs to stew for about two hours. Keep the fire at this level. You watch the pot. I’m going out to practice shooting,” Li Yuanxi said, taking out a quiver made from a water bottle.

“Why don’t you try it out here first before going out? Adjust if needed,” Wei Shu pointed at the wooden bow. Li Yuanxi thought that was a good idea—it would be a hassle to come back if something wasn’t right.

So, the scene became: Wei Shu sat on a stool, chin in hand, watching Li Yuanxi with encouragement in her eyes as she drew the bow. Li Yuanxi pulled the bowstring to its maximum tension. When it felt right, she released the first arrow.

The arrow shot off with great force, but it only flew about seven or eight meters before dropping straight down.

Li Yuanxi was stunned. She watched the arrow lose momentum and fall mid-flight. She felt her face heat up. “Isn’t this a little embarrassing?”

Wei Shu quickly clapped to boost her confidence. She walked over to Li Yuanxi and said, “Not bad, not bad. A good start. The bow can handle the tension, but the arrow dropped. Maybe the string isn’t tight enough to maintain propulsion?”

“That could be. Let me try a few more times.” Li Yuanxi thought about it and decided that Wei Shu might be right. She would shoot a few more to figure it out.

She notched another arrow, held her breath, and pulled the bowstring to full draw. The arrow flew out with a whoosh. This time, it traveled about a dozen meters, but it didn’t have much penetrating power. It barely stuck in a tree.

If she shot a goose like that, the goose might fly away with her painstakingly ground arrow. That would be a real loss.

After two shots, Li Yuanxi realized the problem was the string—it wasn’t tight enough. She needed to adjust it.

She stepped on the bow with one foot and used the other hand to pull the string as tight as possible, increasing the bow’s tension. That way, the arrow would have more power.

When she shot again, the penetration was much better. Within fifteen meters, the arrow could stick firmly in a tree.

After shooting about a dozen arrows in succession, she had a decent feel and accuracy. She felt confident. She put on her backpack and said goodbye to Wei Shu, setting off to conquer the geese.

“Good luck. Just don’t get hurt. If it’s too hard, just let off some steam and come home,” Wei Shu said softly, picking a leaf off Li Yuanxi’s clothes as she walked beside her.

Li Yuanxi grinned, showing twelve white teeth, and promised confidently that she would return triumphant with a goose.

“Alright, I’ll wait for you to come back with meat. Go on.” Wei Shu had to go along with her. Geese were birds that flew in the sky, but she still believed in Chuyi.

Li Yuanxi walked along the beach with her backpack. Flocks of geese circled overhead, foraging in the sea. She cut down a few coconuts from a tree, drank the coconut water, and kept only the white meat.

She chopped the coconuts into a dozen pieces and put them in her backpack. She would scatter them on the back beach later to see if any big birds would eat them.

She returned to the back beach. The sand was covered with flocks of geese. When she passed by, the geese just moved their wings a little but didn’t even leave their nests when she moved away.

Li Yuanxi’s eyes lit up. Were these geese really this accommodating?

The geese watched the strange two-legged creature walk past without causing any real harm. After flying for ten days, they didn’t want to move. They had to take off again tomorrow for their wintering grounds. For now, they just wanted to rest.

But Li Yuanxi only wanted to survive with Wei Shu, to safely get through the winter—at the very least, she didn’t want Wei Shu to go hungry.

She didn’t want to be cruel, but if she didn’t follow nature’s rules, she and Wei Shu would starve or freeze to death. Without enough calories and protein, surviving the winter would be a joke—a joke on themselves.

Li Yuanxi didn’t want that. She found a good spot where she could hide her whole body but still have a clear view. The thigh-high cogongrass hid her.

She looked down at the cogongrass and suddenly remembered that cogongrass roots were also edible—they were very sweet. She muttered to herself, “After the hunt, I have to dig some up for Wei Shu to enjoy.”

Li Yuanxi knelt on a sand mound, bow drawn. She spotted a larger goose about ten meters away.

“Swoosh——”

An afterimage flew out, but the sea breeze blew it off course. The arrow landed with a thud right next to the goose, startling the plump bird into taking off immediately.

Li Yuanxi watched the fallen arrow, wanting to cry. She had forgotten about the wind’s effect. Oh, her plump goose had flown away.

After that, Li Yuanxi became more patient—and bolder. She simply raised the bow and walked closer to shoot. That minimized the wind’s interference.

Li Yuanxi pursed her lips, her gaze deep and focused on a goose. As if sensing the danger, the goose turned its head just as an arrow shot through the air and pierced its body.

“Honk——”

It let out a honk as Li Yuanxi grabbed it, snapped its neck, and quickly tossed it into her backpack.

The geese around it glanced warily, but Li Yuanxi just sat on the ground and did nothing. When the surrounding geese relaxed, she changed positions.

She returned to the sandbank and saw several geese perched on the broken sailboat. She drew her arrow and crept closer. Another shot went straight through a goose’s body.

This time, the other geese panicked. They honked loudly and flew away. Li Yuanxi had to pick up the fallen goose and head deeper into the cogongrass.

Suddenly, something white caught her eye. “A goose egg!” Li Yuanxi’s eyes sparkled.

She quickly picked it up, making sure not to break it by layering it with cogongrass. She would take it back for Wei Shu. She sighed in appreciation. “What a treasure. Thank you, geese and Mother Nature.”